Annapoorna issues clarification after private meeting with FM goes viral post-GST discussion

In the footage, the Coimbatore-based businessman reportedly asked for forgiveness from the Finance Minister and clarified that he has no political affiliations.

Annapoorna, a prominent hotel chain in Tamil Nadu, issued a clarification on September 14 addressing the controversy that arose when a video of a private meeting between its Managing Director, D. Srinivasan, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman went viral. The statement explained that the video was shared inadvertently, causing confusion and speculation.

A video of Srinivasan apologizing to Sitharaman has gone viral. In the footage, the Coimbatore-based businessman reportedly asked for forgiveness from the Finance Minister and clarified that he has no political affiliations.

The issue first arose during an interaction held on September 11 where representatives from MSMEs and the Chamber of Commerce in Coimbatore met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. During the session, Srinivasan, who is also the Honorary President of the Tamil Nadu Hotel Association and Vice-President of the South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association, brought up concerns regarding the varied GST rates applied to different products sold in restaurants and bakeries.

Srinivasan had said the GST regime is too complex, and it is getting difficult even for tax officers to calculate input credits. “There are different GST rates for sweets and namkeens. No GST for plain bread but if served with cream, GST is applicable. For a family that dines in a restaurant, there are different GST rates. Even the computer is confused at these rates,” he said during a public interaction of the local business community in Coimbatore with Sitharaman.

Following the meeting, "news clippings and videos of the interaction went viral," Annapoorna said in its statement. The hotel group also said the next day, Srinivasan met with the Finance Minister privately under his own volition "to ensure there is no misunderstanding or misrepresentation of facts."

However, the video of this private meeting was accidentally shared on social media, which Annapoorna clarified had caused "a lot of misunderstanding and confusion."

The video prompted Tamil Nadu BJP to apologize for the inadvertent sharing of the footage. The party also confirmed that action had been taken against the individual responsible for releasing the video.

"We would like to thank our Honourable Minister of Finance and MLA Vanathi Srinivasan for organising the GST meeting for the trade bodies and organisations to present their views," Annapoorna’s statement expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss the GST concerns.

The company also urged everyone to move past the issue. "We hope everybody understands that we would like to end this episode and move on," the statement continued.

Annapoorna further expressed its gratitude towards its supporters, stating: "We would like to thank all our loyal customers and general public who have been great source of support and inspiration."